Episode 1 — Spain to Mumbai — Starting the 2026 Season
What does life really look like for professional pickleball players traveling the world?
For APP Tour pros Glauka and Brandon Lane, it’s not just tournaments and podium finishes — it’s long travel days, new cultures, unexpected challenges, and unforgettable moments that shape both their game and their lives.
Welcome to the first episode of Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour, Evolute Pickleball’s ongoing series following the real journeys of Glauka and Brandon Lane growing the game across the globe.
Meet the Players
If you’re new here — we’re Glauka and Brandon Lane.
We’re professional pickleball players, founders of Stride Pickleball, travelers at heart, and married for four years. Melbourne Beach is our home base — Glauka grew up in Spain, and Brandon is from the U.S. with Belizean roots.
Over the past few years, pickleball has taken us around the world, introduced us to incredible communities, and challenged us to grow not only as athletes — but as people.
Reset Before the Season: Spain
After a nonstop 2025 filled with flights, tournaments, missed connections, wins, tough losses, and even a few lost suitcases, we kicked off the new year by recharging in Spain with family.
We alternate Christmas each year between Melbourne Beach and Glauka’s hometown — and this year Spain gave us exactly what we needed:
- Long family meals and even longer conversations
- Grandma’s cooking we didn’t realize how much we missed
- Slow mornings and late-night movies
- Time to reset mentally and physically
While it was a chance to slow down, we didn’t stop preparing. We focused on targeted fitness training with Glauka’s dad — a strength and conditioning coach — and spent intentional time on court building a foundation for the season ahead.
First Stop 2026: Mumbai, India
And just like that — the calm of Spain shifted into our first adventure of the year.
We’re writing this from Mumbai, where our 2026 season officially began at the World Pickleball League (WPBL). We spent three weeks competing for Team Mumbai, a city that welcomed us last year and already feels familiar.
Mumbai is a completely different lifestyle from what we’re used to in the U.S.:
- Fast-paced and crowded streets
- Limited opportunities to explore on foot
- Careful planning around food and water
But the energy here? Absolutely unmatched.
The passion for sport is incredible, and it’s amazing to see how rapidly pickleball is growing — with clubs and players spread throughout this vibrant city.
The Power of Community on the Road
When you’re traveling far from home, your team becomes family.
We’re fortunate to share this journey with familiar faces from Spain and the U.S., and with team owners who genuinely care about their players. That support makes a huge difference when you’re living out of a suitcase for weeks or months at a time.
Trips like this remind us why we do what we do:
- To compete at the highest level
- To connect with people through sport
- To help grow pickleball in places we never imagined visiting
Why Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour Exists
This series is our way of bringing you along for the ride.
You’ll see:
- The incredible meals
- Beautiful courts
- New cultures
- The people and communities shaping the future of pickleball
And yes — the real moments behind the scenes of pro travel life.
What’s Next
We’ll be sharing more from our 2026 journey soon — new cities, new competitions, and new experiences that continue to shape our path in professional pickleball.
Stay tuned for the next EV-Everywhere episode on Life on the Pro Pickleball Tour.
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